Marcos Akstein’01 contacted us a few months ago and sent a beautiful letter which you can read below. He was a student from the age of 3 and graduated in Class 11 in 2001. After leaving school, he went to college at IBMEC-RJ and studied Economics. Currently, he is an Investment Analyst at Constellation Asset Management, based at São Paulo. He is responsible for studying public companies in the retail sector, analyzing quantitative and qualitative aspects of the company. His older brother, Marcelo Akstein‘95, also studied at The British School and graduated in 1995. He has graduated from PUC-RJ in Engineering and now runs the family business.

Dear Mr. Wiseman, I would like to share something with you. I was a student at The British School since the age of 3. Today, 6 years after my graduation, I still remember how important the school was for my child and teenage hood. What I want to share with you is not only about the knowledge gained at TBS, but also how I face the world today and what my role in it can be. Despite the time spent at The British School, it is only now, after being more mature that I see clearly that my education was always guided to turn me and my colleagues into future leaders. The school has made us believe in ourselves providing us with the self-confidence to reach our goals and channeling our energy to make this world a better place for all. I have finally read carefully what you wrote in my yearbook (2001) and became surprised since I didn’t know you very well… I had never realized that the school had such an influence about how I think or how act today. I have always thought that there was something special about me, but never realized why I was so worried about how things are or if I could be able to do something remarkable someday. Reading your letter, Mr. Wiseman, provided me great comfort in knowing that The British School is performing a real revolution in the mind of future adults, making them see the world with other eyes and trying their best to change it. In this modern world, I believe that few are so ahead to think as properly as they should. Many are using drugs to become happier, but this happiness lasts for just some few hours. Others are working for money and looking at the future always wanting more, forgetting about the present. Few people make good use of their time, which in my opinion is enjoying the present and working for the future. Surpassing obstacles and reaching goals, helping others and improving themselves is what I see as the way to reach a significant life and true happiness. I know that I am not near perfection, neither the best among my friends in my profession. However, thanks to The British School and the great teachers I have had, I strongly believe in my potential. I am working hard to make my dreams come true and am motivated to work and be someone with enough power to change what is around me. I have started to see things happen as I work with a clearer goal. I am also sure that the school believes in me and in all of its students, no matter how skilled they are. I thank The British School for my wonderful past and all it will still do for my future and for the world. Keep up with the good work! Please send my greetings to all teachers! Marcos Hess Akstein

Bruno Cunha’96, currently working at Coca-Cola, gave a presentation to Class 10 and 11 Urca students on his career: marketing, publicity and communications. The students were very interested in the topic and asked many questions in how things worked, on the daily activities and on college life.

Ricardo Hiltz Marques’03. “In 2003 I entered Estácio de Sá University, at Rio de Janeiro, for Gastronomia and Culinaria graduate course. I will be graduating at the end of 2007. I’ve been working since the beginning of college. My first job was at Casa de Cultura Estácio de Sá, for six months; then I went to work at Ipanema Mix where I stayed for about 1 year and 3 months. After that, I moved to Mix by Bronze with the famous Chef Felipe Bronze. Now, I work as the Chef at Zaza Bistro Tropical. Well, it’s difficult to say that the school influenced me on becoming a Chef because it was something that I started to show some interest in during my last year at The British School but still I didn’t imagine I would actually being doing that as a job. Nevertheless, I believe the school prepares us to do whatever we want to do afterwards, and I am sure I have learned many important things which will help me in my job.”

Willem Oosterberg, a pupil of The British School from the years 1962-1965, visited our Botafogo Site for the first time after 40 years… These were his impressions: “My wife and I paid a very rewarding visit to the school. My impression of the visit was that the school has changed a lot and at the same time has remained the same. The most important change of course is the fact that now 90% of the pupils are Brazilian, whereas in my time it was probably only 10%. What has remained, in my impression, is the emphasis on the values of social behaviour and the development of all talents – intellectual, artistic, sports.”

Barbara Makant’93 and Luiz Otávio Laydner got married on October 20th 2007 with a great celebration at Locanda della Mimosa in Itaipava-RJ. Many Britz friends were there to celebrate this special event with them.

I happened to google my name today and came upon an article from Susan Farmer (whom I actually remember) about a British School reunion and I even saw my class photo. My name is Rui M. N. Forcada and I was a part of Class 7 in 1977. Today I live in Weston, South Florida and am a Senior Vice- President with HSBC Private Bank International in Miami. I have been married for sixteen years and have a seven yearold son. My history: My father was transferred to New York and we settled in a small town in Upstate NY called Scarsdale. I finished high school at Edgemont High School and went on to college at Fordham University in New York where I graduated with a degree in Marketing and a minor in French. I then began employment at Citibank in New York and later went back to Fordham University, in the evenings, for a Masters Degree in Finance. I moved to South Florida in October of 1989 and have lived here ever since. In December of 1991, I married my wife, Adiela, and nine years later we adopted a little three year old from Manizales, Colombia – our son, Luis Eduardo. We are joined by Mr. Wiggles, our family beagle. Today we live in Weston, Florida, where I am a Senior Vice-President in the Brazil Team with HSBC Private Bank International. My work takes me to Brazil (primarily São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro) about six times a year and my last trip for this year will be the first week of December. I bumped into Christopher Langen, also from my class and pictured in the photograph in TAABS website, some two years ago. He lives in Key Biscayne, South Florida.

Steven Ripley left TBS in 1981 to return to Scotland briefly, then down to England (again briefly), before moving to Germany for 4 years, where he did his ‘O’ levels and ‘A’ levels. He then went to St. Andrews University in Scotland and the Instituto Superior Téchnico de Lisboa. He graduated with an honours degree in Biochemistry. After that, he worked for 2 years in France as a technical sales representative for a biotechnology company, moved to San Diego, USA, again as a technical sales person. After 2 years in the USA, he moved to the Netherlands where he became a product manager and then European marketing manager for a Biotechnology company. He then took a year off to travel within Australia, South America and Antarctica. He worked in Scotland as European Marketing Manager for another biotechnology company before moving to Kent in England as Head of Sales & Marketing. When the company was sold he left for South Africa where he became a qualified yacht skipper. He returned to university for a year to get a Masters Degree in Marine Biology and since then has worked as a yacht skipper in the Caribbean, as a marine biology consultant in Canada, as a technical advisor at Oxford University and most recently as a consultant to a marine biotechnology company in Scotland. He says: “Ainda tenho saudades do Rio….”

If you have been a student at The British School, Rio de Janeiro and would like to let us know what you have been up to since you left school, or if you would like the contact information of ex-students please contact
Adriana Nogueira de Andrade`94 at
(+55-21) 2535-2717 ext 164 and/oraandrade@britishschool.g12.br